Attorney
What is the process to complete a domestic adoption in the state of Texas?
Adoption can be a wonderful process, offering the adopted child a much-needed home while fulfilling the desire of the adopting parents to welcome a new child into their home. If you are considering adoption, one of the first steps in the process will be deciding what type of adoption you wish to pursue. There are three main types of adoption: domestic infant adoption, international adoption, and foster care adoption. Each type of adoption varies in the process, time to completion, and cost. Below, our Midland, Texas adoption lawyers explore the basics surrounding domestic infant adoption in the state.
Domestic Adoption Statistics
Domestic adoption rates have slightly increased in recent years, likely due to the rising costs and difficulty of some international adoptions It is estimated that over 18,000 infants are adopted through domestic adoption in the United States. Domestic adoptions remain a popular option for families seeking to adopt a child because they can often be achieved faster than international adoptions and allow for the adoption of infants.
Cost of Domestic Adoption
According to the most recent poll conducted by Adoptive Families, domestic newborn adoptions cost an average of $40,000. Timing varied widely in domestic infant adoptions, depending in part on the openness of adopters to different genders and races. About 40 percent of families polled reported being matched with a birth mother within six months, like 22 percent took between six and twelve months. For eight percent of adopters, a match took three years or longer to achieve.
Domestic Adoption Process
Once you have decided to go through the process of a domestic infant adoption, you will likely start by selecting an adoption attorney or agency. Your adoption attorney or agency will provide you with a wealth of information and facilitate the entire process. From there, you will need to complete a home study. With the home study done, you can submit an application to adopt.
You will need to complete an adoptive family profile, which will be shown to potential birth families. The profile is extremely important as it represents a chance for you to show a potential birth family what would make you a wonderful family. The better your profile, the greater your odds of being chosen. With the profile complete, you can then be matched with a birth family. Your attorney will help you to facilitate the match, make vital decisions as to an open or closed adoption, and prepare for the ultimate adoption.